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PROVIDATA Automotive Appoints Suzanne Murtha

21 July 1999

PROVIDATA Automotive Appoints Suzanne Murtha To Head New Automotive Component Forecasting Team

    ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 21 -- PROVIDATA Automotive, the
automotive industry's leading market research and competitive intelligence
firm, announced the appointment of Suzanne Murtha to the new position of
Director, Automotive Component Forecasting.  Ms. Murtha will direct the
development of PROVIDATA Automotive's new SupplierSource(TM) global automotive
component forecasting databases and associated client-support services.
    "We are very pleased to welcome Suzanne Murtha in this challenging new
role with PROVIDATA Automotive" said Scott D. Upham, president and founder of
PROVIDATA Automotive.
    Suzanne Murtha has a strong background in automotive component forecasting
and analysis.  Prior to joining PROVIDATA Automotive, Ms. Murtha held senior
analytical positions with Standard & Poor's DRI and PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Autofacts division.
    Ms. Murtha is a graduate of the Villanova University and is completing
graduate studies at Harvard University.
    Concurrently, PROVIDATA Automotive introduced its affordable and
comprehensive SupplierSource global automotive component sourcing products
for use by vehicle manufacturers, system/component suppliers and industry
analysts.  "Several automotive suppliers have encouraged PROVIDATA to develop
automotive component sourcing databases due to the high prices being charged
by our competitors," said Upham.
    PROVIDATA Automotive's new SupplierSource products include detailed 10-
year forecasted platform-by-platform component level data, including: supplier
name, production location, installation rates, technology level, estimated
system/part price and the latest industry intelligence on the competitive
landscape for each automotive sub-system and component.  "PROVIDATA
Automotive's SupplierSource products deliver cost-effective and easy-to-use
Windows-based component databases to the automotive industry's top executives
and corporate planners" said Upham.
    PROVIDATA Automotive has built a solid reputation with automotive
executives around the world as an intelligent alternative to high-priced
multi-industry management consulting firms.
    Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, PROVIDATA Automotive is the automotive
industry's leading management consulting, competitive intelligence and market
research firm.  PROVIDATA Automotive's web-site at http://www.providata.com
contains over 3,000 free links to automotive supplier Internet web-sites.